Northumberland County Council has been utilising their parking enforcement vehicle to help improve road safety outside schools in Northumberland.
The Northumberland County Council parking enforcement vehicle is equipped with a camera and monitors parking on ‘School Keep Clear’ restrictions, and was introduced in response to concerns raised regarding dangerous parking outside of school grounds. The council received complaints relating to inconsiderate parking, child safety and speeding outside of schools, and by working with parents, schools and local residents, the enforcement vehicle was introduced to monitor the traffic to ensure child safety.
The presence of the vehicle encourages parents and carers to think carefully and act responsibly when parking outside a school at busy ‘drop-off’ and ‘pick-up’ times. Research has shown that driver behaviour around schools improves when it is reinforced through the visible presence of enforcement staff. The parking enforcement vehicle is highly visible and therefore helps to reinforce this good behaviour, and if the enforcement vehicle captures anyone parking on the ‘School Keep Clear’ restricted areas, then the owner of the vehicle will be issued a Penalty Charge Notice by post.
Since the introduction of the enforcement vehicle in 2016, 117 Penalty Charge Notices have been issued to vehicles parking on the ‘School Keep Clear’ restrictions. The enforcement vehicle’s presence is well received by parents and teachers, who have noted a significant improvement in road safety.
Paul Jones, Director for Local Services and Housing Delivery at Northumberland County Council said: “We are constantly working to improve road safety especially around schools and whilst the majority of people act responsibly, there are a minority of drivers whose actions create an increased road safety risk. The introduction of the enforcement vehicle has resulted in positive improvements in road safety, with many schools noticing a direct impact as a result of the enforcement vehicle routinely visiting their area.”